20 Brown Rice Recipes – Healthy & Tasty

Brown rice is highly nutritious when compared to white rice. Though both brown and white rice is carbs, the difference lies in their nutrition value, which is determined by the way they are processed. While only the outermost layer, husk, is removed in brown rice, all the three layers – husk, bran, and the germ is removed from the white rice. It is the bran and the germ of the brown rice that contain vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, essential amino acids, and γ-oryzanol. These phytonutrients help in weight loss, control blood sugar levels and hypertension and help lower the risk of cancer and Alzheimer’s (1). However, the key problem with brown rice is its unappealing taste. But you can enjoy eating brown rice if you know how to cook it and what to cook it with. In this article, you will find 20 delicious and healthy brown rice recipes and tips on how to cook fluffy and flavorful brown rice. Read on!

How To Cook Fluffy Brown Rice?

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Here are few ways you can cook fluffy brown rice:

Pressure Cooker/ Rice Cooker – 2:1 water to brown rice

Draining Method – Cook brown rice in a pot of water with a teaspoon of oil. When cooked, drain the excess water.

Open Flame – Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add 1 cup brown rice and simmer.

Tip

Use a fork to fluff up the rice.

Use small grain brown rice to cook salads and risottos.

Use long grain or basmati brown rice to cook biriyanis and pilafs.

Soak the brown rice for 30 minutes before cooking.

Cook the brown rice for 30 minutes.

Here are the 20 Brown Rice Recipes that you can cook in few minutes at home.

How To Prepare

In a large bowl, mix the flour with instant coffee and baking soda and keep aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan placed over medium heat.

Mix in sugar and whisk until both blend well.

Remove the mixture from heat and stir in cocoa powder and vanilla.

Add eggs, one each, whisking thoroughly after each addition to ensure even blending.

Pour the mixture into dry flour mixture.

Transfer the batter into greased pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Take out and allow to cool.

Serve garnished with chocolate shavings or whipped cream.

18. Japanese Fried Brown Rice

Image: shutterstock

Prep Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 25 min Total Time: 35 min Serves – 2

Ingredients

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 Egg

4 green onions chopped

½ cup thinly sliced bacon

2 medium chopped carrots

¼ cup fresh peas

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Saké

Salt to taste

White pepper powder to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

How To Prepare

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan kept on medium to high heat.

Stir in onions and carrots and sauté until soft.

Mix in bacon and peas and allow to cook well. Keep the mixture aside.

Add the rest of the olive oil to the same pan and allow to heat.

Crack in the eggs and cook until eggs are almost cooked.

Mix in cooked rice and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Mix in the carrot-bacon mixture.

Add in soy sauce and saké and mix well.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot.

19. Puliyogare

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Prep Time: 20 min Cooking Time: 15 min Total Time: 35 min Serves – 2

Ingredients

½ cup tamarind

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon asafoetida

1 teaspoon grated jaggery

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons peanuts

1 ½ cups cooked brown rice

2 teaspoon mustard

2 tablespoons chana dal

4 roughly broken red chilies

2 sprigs of curry leaves

¼ cup sesame oil

1 ½ tablespoon channa dal

4 red chilies

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

How To Prepare

Heat 1 tsp oil in a sautéing pan placed on medium to high heat and roast the ingredients mentioned till they turn golden. Wait until the mixture cools down. Finely powder the ingredients and keep aside.

Soak tamarind placed in a small mixing bowl in hot water for 40 minutes. Extract the pulp and discard the fiber. Keep aside.

Place a heavy-bottomed, wide mouthed frying pan on medium to high heat.

Add rest of the sesame seed oil and heat it.

Add the ingredients mentioned under seasoning in the order outlined and fry for about 3 minutes.

Mix in the extracted tamarind and cook for 20 minutes or until the pulp loses the raw aroma and becomes half.

Mix in powdered ingredients and grated jaggery and salt to the mixture and keep stirring until the mixture thickens.

Remove from fire and keep aside.

Place a sautéing pan on medium to high heat and roast peanuts until crispy.

Mix in the puliyogare gravy and keep aside. Store it and use it when desired.

In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked rice.

Mix in 2 tbsp of the gravy and using a flat back spoon, mix carefully without breaking and mashing the rice.

Serve hot with deep-fried Appalam (fried papad) or curd.

20. Brown Rice Pudding With Berry Compote

Image: Shutterstock

Prep Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 30 min Total Time: 40 min Serves – 4

Ingredients

2 ½ cups red wine

1 cup castor sugar

½ inch stick cinnamon

½ kg cranberries

1 ½ cups and soaked brown rice

6 cups milk

½ cup castor sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ cup slivered almonds

2 cups slightly whipped heavy cream

How To Prepare

Add red wine, sugar and cinnamon to a saucepan placed on medium to high flame.

Keep stirring intermittently until sugar dissolves.

Add cranberries and increase the heat to maximum.

Simmer the mixture and poach gently for 20 minutes or till cranberries become soft.

Take out the poached cranberries and place it in a flat dish.

Now simmer the liquid until the entire liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Discard the cinnamon stick and pour the mixture over the poached cranberries. Keep aside.

You can prepare the pudding while poaching the berries.

In a heavy bottomed pan, mix rice with sugar and milk.

Place it on medium to heavy flame and allow to come to a boil.

Reduce the heat to minimum, cover, and cook until the rice is soft and milk has completely been absorbed.

Mix in almonds and vanilla.

Allow the mixture to cool.

Refrigerate the mixture until well-chilled or ready to be served.

Fold whipped cream into chilled rice.

Spoon the pudding into a flat dish, top with a compote, and serve.

There you go – 20 healthy and tasty brown rice recipes for you to try. Cook these and enjoy good health without compromising on taste. Take care!